Heuchera plant named ‘Gypsy Dancer’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct hybrid of  Heuchera  plant characterized by small, dark, veiled leaves, light pink flowers, long bloom time, and reblooming habit.

Botanical classification: Heuchera hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Gypsy Dancer’.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera hybrid and given the cultivar name of ‘Gypsy Dancer’. Heuchera is in the family Saxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Gypsy Dancer’ originated from a cross between H-01-dklf-7, a proprietary, unpatented plant as the seed parent, and H-01-dklf-12, another proprietary, unpatented plant as the pollen parent. Given the characteristics of ornamental foliage and flower form, it is probable that Heuchera sanguinea, H. micrantha, and H. americana are in the parentage.

This new Heuchera is distinguished by:

-   -   1. Extremely floriferous. Blooms February to October in the         greenhouse in Canby, Oreg. Outside it blooms spring through the         summer.     -   2. Pink flower buds and light pink flowers.     -   3. Small, slightly wavy, round leaves are dark, veiled silver in         the spring and green, veiled silver in the summer.     -   4. Compact habit.     -   5. Excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The drawing shows Heuchera ‘Gypsy Dancer’ growing in a six inch pot in early spring in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivar based on observations of a one-and-a-half-year-old specimen grown in six inch container in a cold greenhouse in Canby, Oreg. This greenhouse is kept at between 55 and 85 degrees F. in the summer months and in the winter is heated to frost free, above 32 degrees F. and vented at 55 degrees F. Light intensities are consistent with full sun in Canby, Oreg. which gets 42.8 inches of rain per year and is often cloudy. Plants were hand watered when dry. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart.

-   Botanical classification: Heuchera hybrid. -   Variety denomination: ‘Gypsy Dancer’. -   Parentage: H-01-dklf-7×H-01-dklf-12 (both proprietary, unpatented     plants). -   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color.             Roots develop easily from cuttings.         -   Size.—14 cm tall from the ground to the top of the foliage             and 30 cm wide.         -   Habit.—Compact, rounded. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Rosette.         -   Shape.—Ovate and irregular due to undulations.         -   Lobing/division.—5 lobes, with 1 to 2 shallow secondary             lobes.         -   Venation.—Palmate.         -   Margins.—Crenate and undulate.         -   Apex.—Mucronulate.         -   Base.—Cordate, lobes strongly overlapping at the base.         -   Blade size.—5.5 to 8.5 cm long and 4.5 to 7 cm wide.         -   Surface texture.—Thin and leathery, sparsely glandular both             sides.         -   Petiole size.—9 to 13 cm. long and 3 mm wide.         -   Petiole surface texture.—Glandular hairs of various sizes.

    -   Petiole color.—Greyed Brown 199B.         -   Leaf color.—Spring abaxial — Silver with dark veins. Silver             between Black Group 202B and C. Dark veins are between Black             202A and Greyed Purple 187A. Spring abaxial — Red Purple.             Between Greyed Purple 187B and Red Purple 59B. Summer             adaxial — Silver, edged purple, with green brown veins.             Silver between Black Group 202B and C. Dark veins are             between Black 202B and Brown 200A. The leaf edges are purple             tinged, Red Purple 61A. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Size.—7 to 12 cm wide and 30 cm deep.         -   Type.—Thyrse.         -   Number of flowers.—120 per thyrse.         -   Number of thryse.—13 in spring flush.         -   Peduncle.—With 0 to 2 petiolate cauline leaves, ovate, 3 to             4.5 cm long and 3 to 3.5 cm wide with a slightly lobed and             incised margin. Height — 30 to 60 cm. Diameter — 0.25 cm             near base. Surface texture — Hispid.         -   Branching.—3 times. First branch 6.5 cm long at base to 0.9             cm at top. Second branch 1 cm. Third branch 6 to 7 cm. Color             — Greyed Purple 187B.         -   Pedicel.—Length — 0.3 to 0.6 cm. Surface texture — Glandular             puberulent. Color — Yellow Green 152D.         -   Bloom period.—May through October in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—0.3 cm wide and 0.6 cm long.         -   Description.—Glandular puberulent, ovoid.         -   Color.—Pink. Red Purple 63B at the base and Red Purple 65D             at the tip. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Perfect, zygomorphic.         -   Shape.—Campanulate.         -   Size.—0.8 cm long and 0.6 cm wide.         -   Petal description.—5 in number, inconspicuous, each             spatulate with a clawed base, entire margin, acute apex,             White 155D on both surfaces, 0.35 cm long and 0.15 mm wide.         -   Calyx.—5 lobes, ovate, divided ½ way to the base, with             glandular hairs, acute apex, 0.8 cm long and 0.6 cm wide.         -   Calyx and flower color.—Light pink. Inside and outside             surfaces Red Purple 62B at the base ¼ and White 155B on the             lobes (and a faint pink blush), with the outside slightly             duller and darker.         -   Stamen.—5 in number, with filaments 4 mm long and White             155A, anthers are also 5 in number, oval, 0.3 mm long and             1.5 mm wide, Orange Red 28A before dehiscence, pollen is             Orange 25A and normal in quantity.         -   Pistil.—One with a two-branched stigma, White 155B, typical             of the genus, style 0.55 cm. long.         -   Fragrance.—Faint.         -   Lastingness.—Each thryse blooms for about 2 weeks on the             plant, reblooming is common. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type.—Two-beaked ovoid capsule.         -   Fertility.—Good.         -   Color.—Brown 200D. -   Seed:     -   -   Shape.—Linear.         -   Size.—2 mm. long.         -   Color.—Black. RHS 202A. -   Disease and pest tolerance: Excellent disease resistance to powdery     mildew, the common problem of Heuchera. Susceptible to root weevils     like other Heuchera.

COMPARISON TO SIMILAR HEUCHERAS

Compared to Heuchera ‘Vesuvius’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,215), Heuchera ‘Gypsy Dancer’ has a similar habit and size. The foliage of this new cultivar is strongly veiled and not as dark in the summer. The flowers are much larger and lighter pink.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Veil of Passion’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,166), this new cultivar has shorter flower stalks, longer bloom time, a better veil on the leaves, smaller rounder leaves, and a more compact habit.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Harmonic Convergence’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,111), this new cultivar has smaller, wavier leaves and flowers that are held further out from the peduncle in a looser arrangement. 

1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated and described. 